Rotary engine.



no. 657,590. Patented Sept. 1|, I900.

Q E. P-. couwnz. noun ENGINE.

(Application md Apr. 30, 1900.]

(No Model.)

1N VEN T OR.

v ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

EUSEBE P. COUTURE, or GUALALA, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY lENG INE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,590, datedSeptember 11,

' Applicationfiled April so. 1900. SerialNo.15,003. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, EUSEBE P. COUTURE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gualala, in the county of Mendocino and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved rotary engine, the object of myinvention being to provide an engine of this character which shall bevery simple and cheap in construction, which shall permit of theimpulsive force of the steam being used in a very efiective andeconomical manner, in which there shall be only a single movable part,there being no valves, and one which can be reversed at pleasure. Myinvention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully specified, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved rotary engine, certain parts being broken away to show theinternal construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of therotary cylinder removed. Fig. 3 is a similar view of one of the sideplates of the casing removed, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the enginebroken away to show a section on the line A A of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a suitable bed-plate, upon whichare supported the side plates 2 of the engine, each side plate havinglugs 3, recessed or grooved, as at 4, to fit tongues 5, formed on theends of the said bed-plate,the central portion of said bed-pla be beingconcaved circularly, as shown at 6, to receive said side plates; Saidside plates are bolted to each other by bolts 7, and between said sideplates is mounted the rotary cylinder 8, having a shaft 9, rotating inbearings 10, formed in standards 11, erected upon the bed-plate. Saidshaft 9 is preferably formed with tapering or conical ends for greaterstrength and lightness.

The steam passes by the steam-pipes 12, one on each side of theengine,into a circular conduit 13, formed by a groove cut in the 'sideplate, covered by a plate 14, from which conduit 13 lead conduits 15,formed in the side plate and discharging intoa cavity 16, formed in theinner surface of the side plate. Each cavity 16 has an oblong surface 17in a plane passing approximately through the axis of the engine and anoblong surface 18 at a considerable angle to the surface 17. In thesurface of the rotating cylinder engaging the end plate there arecavities 19 similar to the cavities 16that is, they have short oblongsurfaces 20 in planes approximately passing through the axis of theengine and surfaces 21 sloping at a considerable angle with the surfaces20. The cavities 16 and 19 will, at

:a certain point of the revolution of the cylinder 8, form aparallelepiped, as shown in .Fig. 4. The conduit 15 emerges in the shortthe steam in the latter cavity is cut 05 or' shut in. At the same timesteam escapes from the cavity 19 through a conduit 24, which at thisstage of the revolution of the cylinder registers with a conduit 25,leading to acircular groove 26, formed on the outside of the side plate.Said groove 26 is covered by an annular plate 27, and thus there isformed an exhaust-channel connected with all the conduits 25 and leadingto the exhaustpipe 28, provided with a suitable cock 29 for controllingthe exhaust.

As shown in Fig. 4, the cavities on one side of the engine are arrangedaround the circle, of which they form a series alternately with thecavities on the other side, so that the engine will receive an impetusfrom the steam at Whatever point it is started, either on one side or onthe other.

For the purpose of reversing the engine a second or inner series ofcavities 36 39 are formed in the side plates and rotary cylinder,respectively, similar to the cavities 16 19, but having their shortsquare faces turned in the opposite direction. The steam chambers formedby these cavities are supplied by steam-pipes 32 33. Suitable cocks 4Q41 are provided in the steam-pipes 12 32, so that steam may he admittedto rotate the engine in the forward or reverse direction, as may bedesired.

In order to prevent escape of the live steam,

' 71. In a rotaryengine, the combinationof fixed side plates, eachhavi-ng'a circular series": of cavities in its inner surface, eachcavityhaving a surface in aplane approximately passing through the axis of theengine,-a rotating cylinder between the two side plates- "having acircular series of cavities on each of its faces,said cavitii'esibeingadapted to regi'sj brass paeking-rin gs 43 are providedgin'grooves 44 45 in the sideplates'and revolving-cylim der, respectively."

I claimter with the cavities in theside plates to form steam-chambers,circular grooves in the outer faces of the side plates, plates coveringsaid grooves to forms'team and exhaust conduits,

connections through theside plates from said steam-conduits to theseveral cavities in the inner faces of the side plates, and connectionsfrom said exhaust-conduits to the inner faces of the side plates, saidconnections being ar-' ranged to register with exhaust-passages from thecavities in the rotary cylinder, ste'am pipes leading to the circularsteam-conduits and an exhaustpipe leading from thecircularexhaust-conduit, substantially as described.

I plane approximately passing through the axis 1 2; In a rotary engine,the combination of fixed side plates, each having an inner and an outercircular series of cavities in its inner surface, each cavity having asurface in a "of the'engineg butsaid surfaces of the two series havingoppositeaspec'ts relatively to their "respective cavities, a rotarycylinder between the-two side plates having inner and outer;formexh'aust-conduits, and connections from said grooves to the innerfaces of the side "plates, said connect-ions being arranged to regin therotary cylinder, independent steam- :pipes leading to the circularsteam-conduits, land a connection between the circular exhaust-conduits,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwosubscribing witnesses.

. E. P. COUTURE.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, M. R. DANIELS.

L c oyering said grooves to form steam-condui ts,

P tes, and p atespcer ring. sa d gr o s to 'ister withexhaust-passagesfrom the cavities.

